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Our goal at Infinityleap ease the accesablity of emerging technologies for developers and the general public who would like to get a taste of these technologies and attain the know-how of how to start their journey for creating virtual worlds and new world devices and software.

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Today I had the opportunity to speak about the EdTech project I’m working on at MindCET. The audience was a group of Virtual Reality enthusiasts; developers, entrepreneurs and others who are curious about this technology. This event was hosted by Autodesk, which has a great vision about VR. IVR Meetup #3 – VR and the academy Monday, Dec 15, 2014, 7:00 PM Autodesk Israel22 Rothschild boulevard St. Tel-Aviv, IL 83 VR Enthusiasts Went IVR meetup #3 is coming with great talks and awesome demo stations.Agenda:• 19:00-19:30 – Gathering, Snacks, Beer and VR demos!• 19:30-20:00 – Welcome note – News from the VR world.• 20:00-20:30 – Virtual Worlds on the Internet – Dr. Victor Shenkar, CEO of GeoSim.• 20:30-20:45 -Ben-Gurion University new AR/VR lab, research in social-spatia… Check out this Meetup → I spoke of the opportunity in creating new education technology experiences and in particular, why there is a growing conviction that disruption in education is coming quickly. I also covered the array of VR applications for education. Basically I identify 3 categories of experiences: 1. Learning experiences. These attempt to deliver knowledge in a new intriguing way. For example, “The World of Comenius” teaches you Anatomy in an exciting interactive way, using […]

The magic of technology has always fascinated and excited me. Yet when in comes to design – people are all that matters. So my goal is to explore how VR technology can “speak” human. When Leap Motion announced their VR headset mount, I knew this would be a gamechanger. I had experimented with Leap Motion a while back and tested its API with Processing. Using our bare hands to manipulate objects in 3D makes a lot of sense when it comes to interaction design. No wonder Oculus Rift, the leader in VR technology, acquired Nimble, a direct competitor to Leap Motion. The potential of these capabilities to impact the education world is profound. Imagine the new possibilities to explore, discover and create knowledge and interact with it in a new compelling fashion. Education enables us to build and shape new ideas by using our imagination to extrapolate the former into the latter. Will VR technology and natural gesture interaction lead us to a better form of understanding and internalizing? One thing is for sure. It will be fun.

When Itamar, my 12-year-old, brought Google Cardboard to school, he was overwhelmed with joy. “Dad, can I bring the Cardboard to school tomorrow too? I’m a bit worried the excited kids might damage it…” I think that this story encapsulates the VR revolution. It’s much more than technology. It’s cultural. Virtual Reality has existed as a promise in our culture’s imagination for two generations. Google Cardboard started as a joke. But it turned out to be a significantly growing market, as Google is now offering developers an Android and Unity SDK to let them create their own content for the VR set. What are the implications of this technology on our relationship with technology once it hits the mass market? What does VR mean for us as a culture? How can it serve us? I have a vision that in 5 years from now, my younger daughter will be taking a Cardboard VR set to school and use it on a daily basis for learning purposes. What do you think?

Augmented Reality; what is it? There’s a new gale storm sweeping the tech world, rousing new interests. And it’s nothing other than the often misconstrued tech jargon, Augmented Reality. It’s true the Augmented Reality industry has undergone lots of changes in the recent past, but one thing still stands—an average person outside the tech circle can’t actually tell what Augmented Reality really is. Ask, and you’d get all sorts of answers trying to link it with Virtual Reality or [worse] the Oculus Rift, when the difference is so colossal. Understanding Augmented Reality Simply put, Augmented Reality refers to the results we get when we use technology to overlay digital information on top of our immediate surroundings in real time. Its goal is to create a virtual reality that’s a replica of the world’s environment in the technosphere. Be it an image, a face, a GPS coordinate or an object, the digital information created has to be tied to something in the real world. It’s essentially like teaching a smart device that every course of action arrives with a matching set of cause and effect. So whenever it sees a car engine, it should follow it up with corresponding maintenance and […]

Despite the continuous technological development happening around us every day, many are still unaware of what the purpose of Augmented Reality is. This type of technology is often mistaken for virtual reality. However, this is a huge misconception. What is Augmented Reality? Augmented Reality or AR is the substitution of a computer-generated input such as video, graphics, GPS data or sound to the direct or indirect look of a real environment. Contrary to virtual reality, a simulation does not replace the real world. Instead, it makes use of a technology that helps augment all of the environmental elements. As a result, the information you see is interactive, dynamic and can be manipulated digitally. Any type of smartphone or smart device is used for the real-time overlaying of digital information on the physical world. The simple concept of cause and effect is taught to your smart device. For example, when your device sees a particular advertisement, it will automatically direct you to a website. If your smartphone sees an engine of a car, it will instinctively display the car engine maintenance manual. A Different View of Reality Augmented Reality gives us a different view of reality around us, since it […]

Augmented reality has suddenly come to the fore again with the coming-to-market of products like Google Glass. The basic idea is overlaying information onto the real world – so everyday objects will have a veneer of information on top of what you would normally see thus creating an ‘augmented reality’. This can be a wide variety of different things, from navigation aids overlain as you walking or driving to reviews and ratings for restaurants and bistros as you’re walking by. In essence, a more convenient version of what most people carry around in their pockets now. Predictions by Semico Research put revenue related to augmented reality devices and capable devices (mobile phones and tablets can be held up using the camera function, it’s not entirely about wearables) could reach as high as $600 billion as early as 2016. By 2020 even 103 million cars are predicted to have augmented reality as a feature, potentially seeing big increases in the safety and ease of driving. The actual definition of Augmented Reality is rather nebulous however. The basic premise covers anything that will overlay extra information on the world but a growing number feel it should be reserved for the higher-end […]

Augmented reality is a technology that allows the insertion of digital (virtual elements) into the real world. This ability can be like magic in your life. Just imagine how awesome it can be to find the nearest parking lot or restaurant in a matter of seconds, from you smartphone. The worldwide leader in augmented reality is Metaio Augmented Solutions. The company has an application for smartphones called Jenaio, which is an augmented reality browser. Jenaio is able to help the user to have a totally new perspective on the surroundings. You can browse the environment around you just like you browse the web. You will have an augmented view on the phone screen that will show you the features of hotels, restaurants and other facilities that exist in a city. Even if this technology seems revolutionary right now, the whole concept was started in 1962. A cinematographer created the Sensorama: a simulator with picture, sound, vibration and even smell. The first application of Sensorama in real life was for the heads up display of fighter jet pilots. On a glass screen in front of the pilot, different symbols are projected for better aiming and piloting. The technology has just begun […]

In the tech industry, Augmented Reality has been receiving huge attention for some time which is why we decided to take a deeper look into it. We call this the Part 1 of the series we are creating on Augmented reality intended for beginners. After being a part of the Augmented Reality industry for two years, I can say that an average person knows nothing about this marvellous technology. It surprises me when most people relate it to Virtual Reality or the Oculus Rift. Simply put, Augmented Reality is created by using a smart device to overlay digital information over the real world in real time. This information may represent something in our reality – an object, image, face, GPS coordinates or the skyline of a city. Here, your smart device is simply being taught a cause and effect action. It works just like this: when I see a car’s engine, the device displays instructions for engine maintenance or if I view an advertisement, a webpage will be opened. This shows that Augmented Reality lets us join real and digital worlds. It is capable of providing us any information whenever and wherever we require it. The Augmented World welcomes you! […]

At the I/O 2014 event that happened last week, Google introduced a low cost Android Virtual Reality smartphone adopter that, to the surprise of crowd was made of a cardboard. In recognition of the potential for virtual reality on smartphones and also to demonstrate its commitment to mobile VR content development all the developers present were given a free device. On a second session held a day later the cardboard VR developers Boris Smus, Christian Plagemann and David Coz elaborated on the goals the project. They explained that the need for a low cost and easy to work with material, that could be easily modeled, remodeled or modified was the main reason for the choice of cardboard material. The other goal was to encourage and enlist more Android VR developers by significantly eliminating the entry barriers currently facing the sector. The other objective was to make Android the destination for smartphone VR by having a footprint in the market and overcoming the challenges posed by other players specifically Samsung and Oculisare. Despite having started as a hobby project using a simple commodity material, the cardboard VR adopter is fairly hi-tech. First and foremost the cardboard has been laser-cut to precision […]

Augmented reality is like modification of a real world environment by computer generated sensory input. The computer input responsible include; graphics, GPS data, videos and sound. This technology simulates the real world and replaces with a virtual reality. In 2014 there was incredible growth in AR users and the number of applications published. Also major manufacturers have embraced the use of AR in extremely meaningful ways. In 2015 use of AR will be much waited for and a lot of uses are in store for this technology. New glasses The release of smart glasses will be something to look forward to. This trend began in 2014 and in 2015 the glasses will be a better version. Brands like Epson, Google and Vuzix released products like these and although they couldn’t meet the original brands target they still contributed to the introduction of the AR technology. Other brands like Sony, Epson, Google, Vuzix and other upcoming companies will launch upgraded second generation headsets. This will therefore result to market flooding and eventually cheap and affordable prices of the products. Better cameras A better camera means upgraded versions of the lenses and a greater resolution including a high quality megapixel. The cameras […]

The Apple Watch is a smart watch that’s designed, manufactured and marketed by Apple Inc. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the release of the Apple Watch on September 9, 2014, and it has been available for pre-order since April 10, 2015. Shipments of the Apple Watch are currently scheduled to begin on April 24, 2015. The initial impressions of the Apple Watch are that it’s able to participate in many aspects of the wearer’s daily life, although its performance will initially limit its acceptance. Overview Timekeeping is the primary function of the Apple Watch, although it can also perform the functions of other devices such as a phone, camera and personal assistant. It can integrate with other products and services from Apple by using the iOS operating system for Apple mobile devices. The Apple Watch series consists of three models, including the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Sport. The primary differences between these models are the cases and bands, which are interchangeable. Appearance The Apple Watch has a warmer appearance compared to the cold, minimal look of Apple’s other personal devices such as phones and tablets. It’s highly-rounded design bears a strong resemblance to the first iPhone, […]

The Microsoft HoloLens is a smart glasses unit that provides the user with an augmented reality through the use of a headmounted display and spatial sound. It’s a self-contained computer that runs the Windows 10 operating system, which allows user interaction through hand gestures, gaze and voice commands. The HoloLens has been in development for Windows 10 since 2010 and will be available in the same timeframe as Windows 10, which is currently scheduled for mid-2105. This early review of the Microsoft HoloLens discusses its applications, features and overall user experience. Overview The primary sensor for the HoloLens is a depth camera with a 240-degree field of view that captures video. It also has sensors that capture sound and the user’s head movements. A Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) receives the data from these various sensors and integrates them to create an augmented reality. Alex Kipman, chief inventor of the HoloLens, claims that its HPU processes terabytes of data in real time. Applications Several applications are available for the HoloLens, including Holobuilder, HoloStudio and OnSight. Holobuilder is a demonstration program based on the video game Minecraft, and HoloStudio is a modeling application for 3D printers. OnSight is an application developed […]

The recent launch of the Apple smart-watches, and the fact it was sold out within 15 minutes, may suggest, that there is a huge market for wearable tech. The question is when is it going to burst; and whether your company can wait that long?! Eight years ago the IPhone had a great launch as well, Nevertheless, it took smart-phones four years to reach 6% market penetration! The slow adaptation of consumer technologies, challenges wearable tech startups to think different in the wearables era, mainly in order to survive. Wearable tech is said to be the future. There seem to be no doubt about it. Giant companies line up to take over the Business to Consumer market (B2C), equipped with the needed patience, and lots of money… They know it will take time. It took smartphones nearly four years to reach 6% penetration from when the devices first started to register on a global level. The wearables have a more complex starting point than smart-phones. While the latter consisted at first of one major vendor (Apple), in the Wearable tech sector there are already many active companies and young start-ups. The recent researches, which reveal the slow adaptation of wearable-tech […]

Every technology enthusiastic is familiar with the term of “the long nose of technology”. This term refers to the usual time spent at each stage in the evolution of a new innovative idea.This empirical graph demonstrates that any invention has to go through a long period of time, before it matures and forms into a well defined technology that can actually impact our lives. Why? Some things have their own nature. In order to get from the point you shout “Eureka!” to the realization of a product, you need to refine the basic idea, change it to meet public expectation and many more essintial phases that take time. There is no doubt that augmented reality arrived to its traction stage. If you Google “Augmented Reality” or search it on Reddit, you will get tens of thousands results. Most of them were published lately. Every technology blog publishes daily articles and reviews that refers to related new applications, hardware, SDKs or futuristic concept designs. However, in many cases, there is a consistent confusion between augmented reality, virtual reality and other hybridism as mixed reality or simulated reality. Let’s try to clear things a bit, and get familiar with some of the […]

A Trip to Infinity (AR) On my way to Petach-Tikva one of the “Silicon Valleys” of Israel, I was wondering, what can make a small start-up company like Infinity AR ,so unique that it was able to successfully complete its second investment round of $5 million in less than one and half a year? What can we learn from that on the very trendy world of Augmented Reality? Who are the people behind this company and what the hell do they have in hand (or don’t) that caused VCs like Singulariteam and Platinum Partners to invest more (in addition to their initial investments) and known companies like Sun Corporation from Japan to join the party? With those thoughts in mind, the photographer Shlomi Yosef and I, went up in the elevator. At the entrance, we were met by Moti Kushnir who is the company’s CEO and also one of the founders. Moti, who had originally majored in the field of finance, shifted his interest to the Hi-Tech industry and to a long journey through the Israeli market. Two years ago, he joined forces with his current partner, Dr. Matan Porter. Matan is a real expert in the field of image processing […]

To the end-user experimenting with virtual reality technology, what things look like on the outside is much less interesting than what awaits within. This has been a standard philosophy shared by VR enthusiasts, especially those keeping an eye on Oculus Rift VR. The no-frills exterior of its viewer resembles nothing more than huge, boxy goggles that perhaps create a perception that there’s must be great things inside. Earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which purchased Oculus Rift last year, shared that the headset owners may someday see their own fully immersive news feed, and maybe even live video through this blocky-looking device. Very cool, indeed, but definitely not the only game in town. Project Morpheus, owned by Sony, promises VR technology from a headset that looks really cool on the outside and on the inside. While Zuckerberg said Oculus could someday have the potential to do just about everything, Sony is trying to focus on changing the gaming experience first. In 2016, it plans to begin selling the VR headset to consumers, along with a collection of 20 PS4 games designed to work with it. These include everything from sports games like “Street Luge” to fighting games like “War […]

To the end-user experimenting with virtual reality technology, what things look like on the outside is much less interesting than what awaits within. This has been a standard philosophy shared by VR enthusiasts, especially those keeping an eye on Oculus Rift VR. The no-frills exterior of its viewer resembles nothing more than huge, boxy goggles that perhaps create a perception that there’s must be great things inside. Earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which purchased Oculus Rift last year, shared that the headset owners may someday see their own fully immersive news feed, and maybe even live video through this blocky-looking device. Very cool, indeed, but definitely not the only game in town. Project Morpheus, owned by Sony, promises VR technology from a headset that looks really cool on the outside and on the inside. While Zuckerberg said Oculus could someday have the potential to do just about everything, Sony is trying to focus on changing the gaming experience first. In 2016, it plans to begin selling the VR headset to consumers, along with a collection of 20 PS4 games designed to work with it. These include everything from sports games like “Street Luge” to fighting games like “War […]

For the past year, we’ve heard nothing but wearable this and wearable that. Apple and Apple fans have been talking non-stop about smart watches, and several brands have been marketing their own versions of wrist-sized computers that keep track of your fitness, pull up email, and are even rumored to tell time. Other companies are also dabbling into other aspects of “technology that’s part of your everyday wardrobe” marketplace, everything from shirts designed with pockets to hold mobile devices to socks that keep track of tread patterns and average pace to glasses that give you info about the world around you. But HTC Vive may be able to turn the wearable market on its head – or at least give you a good simulation of it. It’s essentially a VR headset which plugs into your PC. It includes 37 sensors that connect to two external wireless infrared cameras to fully immerse you in a digital world, including 360-degree movement in high-definition imagery. (For those that follow the latest VR tech, some only offer 100-110 degrees.) The device is being developed by HTC with support from the Valve Corporation, known for intense first-person games from the past like Half-Life and Portal. […]

martphones have done well at weaning us from our desktops. Whether you opt for an iPhone, an android, or a Windows device, you likely have enjoyed the appeal of being able to interact with the world whenever and wherever life takes you. If you need an answer, to take a picture or correspond with anyone, just fire up your device, rather than waiting until you find a computer – and then waiting for it to boot up. Although desktops do have better storage capacity, processing speeds and larger screens than your typical smart phone, sales seem to be slipping almost inversely as mobile device sales keep on rising. Samsung, currently one of the reigning mobile phone manufacturers, is hoping to bring a similar level of appreciation to the developing world of virtual reality. While some of the VR front-runners such as the Oculus Rift really offer impressive, immersive experiences, they still possess something that Samsung doesn’t think anyone needs: a cord that plugs into a desktop computer. Instead, Samsung is hoping that users will prefer their virtual reality experience to be completely un-tethered, especially with its Gear VR. With this device, all you need to do to connect is attach your sold-separately […]

One of the major health challenges facing society in the 21st century is the issue of obesity, specifically child obesity. The world health organization recently reported that the generation born since the year 2000 may be the first generation in recorded history to have a shorter life expectancy than that of their parents. Statistics supporting this situation are alarming; 1 or every 3 children in the US are either overweight or obese and in China 25% of the boys and 17% of the girls are obese. A key contributor to this distressing situation is the lack of physical activity amongst children. Over 200 million children spend the majority of their free time playing online computer games. Millions of parents around the world are unable to get their children to “disconnect” from their computer games, and for good reason, a child must be inspired, not forced, to be active. The solution had to come from within the game arena itself, and in order to keep children engaged, it had to be simple and fun to use. The technological start-up company, Go Vivo Ltd., has developed a patented wearable technology that can help fighting child obesity. Their unique technology enables the merging […]

“A mobile device that can see how we see” is pretty much the greatest claim from a product since Nike commanded us all to “Just Do It.” That’s the quite attractive lure of Google’s new Project Tango, which already sounds like a game-changer for mobile tech even though it’s a ways off from being available to the public. The concept is definitely intriguing: a tablet that creates 3D scans and tracking of the world in front of it. And the Google name behind it also lends some huge åcred to its reliability and marketability. Google has been downright tantalizing in how much info it has released openly about this product, which moved from the hush-hush experimental lab last fall to the Play Store where developers can now pony up a decent chunk of change to see what apps they can create for the new mobile with 3d camera. But already there are nearly unlimited possibilities: Gaming environments will be more immersive, as the device is expected to provide a greater sense of depth and perspective that hasn’t been possible in traditional 2D environment. If there was an opportunity for mobile games to take a leap from basic […]

Geek-oriented movie fans know that we’re going to see a lot more flicks about heroes saving the world. The Avengers sequel is still Hulk-smashing box office records and is going to lead to all sorts of Marvel-owned spin-offs and tie-ins, from “Ant-Man” to a reboot of “Fantastic Four.” DC Comics plans to unleash its whole bullpen of heroes soon enough, and we’ll even have “Pixels” this summer, an original story about a group of 1980s-era coin-op champs who are brought in to defeat actual space invaders. Of course the seventh “Star Wars” may attract a box office-goer or two this winter. But even more exciting than any of these hard-hitting heroic fantasies and cinematic chaos is what’s happening in the world of augmented reality, where rapidly advancing technology will take us to digital places faster and easier than the fastest hyper drive ever could. For the past five years, one recommended place to get the skinny on what’s ahead in technology has been AWE, or the World Augmented Expo, an annual gathering of professionals interested in new methods to make the world more interactive. Each year, presenters and vendors share ideas about current or upcoming innovations in […]

With the cancellation of InsideAR a few weeks back and the deletion of the @metaioDev and @metaio Twitter handles, one can only suspect something is definitely going on over there at Metaio. Is it a buyout? A super-sweet purchase by a major industry player! Is Mark Zuckerberg going to socially augment reality?!?! Hopefully we’ll find out soon and what types of options developers have past the glaring orange postings. Most of their support tickets have been removed from previous years and if you go to their Dev and Helpdesk sites there are postings notifying developers of what’s to come: I’m sure it’s a win-win for all parties involved and hopefully we’ll find out some of the details at a later date. For the Metaio developer ecosystem, this is a huge shake-up as thousands of applications using the Metaio platform will have to be migrated over to another Augmented Reality (AR) platform such as Qualcomm’s Vuforia, Layar, Wikitude or DAQRI. Some industry leaders have built fully customized platforms on top of Metaio’s core capabilities and they are looking at major rework as well to keep things running smoothly for their product. One of the most useful features from the Metaio platform was its authoring tool, Creator. Creator […]

When I look back on this whole project, it all started with a simple idea. I took the Software Engineering course at the Fontys University of Applied Science in Eindhoven. During my education, I was able to choose a minor next to Software Engineering. I decided to follow the minor Virtual Reality. My mind was set on developing something that consisted of no cables and being able to move freely. One of the interests I’ve had for quite some time was archery. That’s why I decided to start looking for a sponsor. I contacted an archery shop called ‘Hendriks Handboogsport’, which is owned by Cor Hendriks. He was so kind to sponsor me one of his bows. I also arranged some position trackers we had available at our school from the company PSTechnology. With these trackers were able to track movement in a range of 3 x 3 meters. In just a week’s time, I was able to create my first concept. With this concept, you were able to point the bow towards the TV and move within the tracker’s range. As you moved, the bow moved on the TV and when you ‘fired’ an arrow from the bow, you […]

Just about all of us love a good mystery, and we seem to be getting it and then some with Magic Leap. Even the rumors that have been coming out of development circles sound right on the edge of being too good to be true: the perfect augmented reality device. A tiny, non-bulky headset. The ability to turn any flat surface into a keyboard, or be able to swipe at anything simply by waving your hands, or possibly even by moving your eyes. “Totems,” whatever they are. No wonder the Florida company has been using “the magic is real” as its slogan, and no wonder Google and a host of other tech giants and other investors are lining up to get things moving, at least financially, including a $584 million pledge. Fueling the curiosity is founder Rony Abovitz, who deliberately has been dodging and redirecting questions and seems to be adept at keeping the big reveal as secret as any master magician. He also used an instantly-understandable geek reference to let the world know Magic Leap is going to be huge – he told Wired that one of the best parts about “The Hobbit” movies was that […]

Though Apple would love nothing more than you to plunk down hundreds of dollars for its new Watch, there are plenty of alternatives out there for people looking for a fun and stylish smartwatches If you previously have agonized which smartphone or tablet to invest in, you’re probably having an equally hard time deciding which type of device you want to strap to your wrist. In this case, not only do you have to choose what technical features you want – email, phone, etc., you also must consider how it’s going to look on you as a fashion accessory, not just a cool, trendy gadget. You’ll also face many back-and-forths as you went through with past devices – go Apple or go anything else, since the company has been trying to convincing the world that the Apple Watch is the only true smartwatch. But Apple is also a company that many go out of their way to avoid if there’s a better choice. In the current watch wars, we are seeing several manufacturers vying for the title of “best smartwatch.” If you think it’s the right “time” to choose to buy smartwatch, pun intended, here are […]

Last year I attended one of the premier Augmented Reality industry events, Metaio’s InsideAR and got a chance to meet up with Jim Dailey of Digital Delta Design. We were discussing the state of the industry at that time and both thought it was interesting how niche the space still was. Providers & early adopters understood the return on investment (ROI) that can be gained by integrating Augmented Reality solutions and overall, market awareness has increased immensely in this regard during the first part of 2015. In 2014 however, the Augmented Reality community was still fairly small but growing fast as hardware providers were strategically on a path to support interactive and immersive computing applications while developers pushed the envelop on what could be achieved at that time. Before we shook hands and parted ways, Jim said something interesting. He said, “You know how this will go right? Pioneers always get the arrows and settlers get the land.” Microsoft has made some very interesting moves over the past few months which were set in motion a while back. While we were all a buzz over Google Glass, they purchased Minecraft in 2014 for $2.5 billion with a “B”, patented facial-mood sensing recognition and redesigned their operating system to support the future of […]

No no no, I don’t mean that in an apocalyptic – futuristic- people are not going to communicate with each other- kind of way… I mean it from a marketing point of view. after all, everything around us, In the real world, Is about profit, So do we expect the Virtual world to be any different? Nowadays, the different VR HMD’s (head mounted displays) that are available for the public are the Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and on some level- even the Oculus Rift Dev Kit. We can probably agree that it is not very common to find someone that we know who owns one of those devices (Keep in mind that this is a VR forum so we don’t really count). Having said that, the day that every household will own some kind of a VR HMD is not very far (FYI- google cardboard comes in various shapes and materials that are sold for only a few dollars). Little by little we can See commercial companies allowing themselves to use this spectacular tool to promote a product or to excite their consumers, but when VR will be a bit more accessible, it will most definitely become the next big thing in advertising. VR apps will be commercially […]

Microsoft’s tryst with augmented reality is near-ready to make the official entry to market. The product that raised a lot of curiosity has also attained criticism for its limited field of view. The line between the real and the virtual world continues to blur. Augmented reality is ready to take the control by enhancing the real world environments with the integration of computer generated graphics. In the bid to make the most serious attempt in this direction, Microsoft sowed the idea of an amazing piece of technology called HoloLens few months ago. In January this year, the developer hardware appeared for the first demo and garnered enough limelight. Fast forward to present day, the headset model is almost near to completion, but the recent demonstrations have left the experts a bit disappointed. Why? There is one underlying difference between the development unit and the headset model. It’s about immersion or the perception of physical presence in a virtual world. While the former appeared much immersive, the latter restricts itself for this important aspect. The fault lies in the field of view which clearly fails to fuse the two worlds together. Just when the virtual world starts building around you, the […]

This article is intended to brief the readers regarding the pros and cons of the proposed EEOC rule that sets up threshold against various wearables used by companies in their wellness programs to promote them. The improvements suggested by the Federal watchdogs in prevalent workplace wellness programs has raised concern over confidentiality of personal data contained in consumer-grade fitness bands and smartwatches. The amendments proposed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) applies to Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 which refers to employer wellness programs in around 580,000 US companies. Throughout this day, public comments are being sought online. Of course, the proposed rule, along with the documents provided in its support, is quite detailed and, yet, does not contain direct reference to the worker data in fitness bands such as Fitbit or smartwatches like the Moto 360 or Apple Watch. Nevertheless, said the EEOC spokes person James Ryan, the information gathered in accordance with the fitness program by companies may possibly fall under the proposed rule if it is considered medical information. A person’s heart rate over a period of time, for instance, is a medical information, and, therefore, subject to ADA’s […]

Now Drive Better With BMW’S Newly Introduced Augmented Reality Glasses For Mini The BMW’s expert technology masters have come up with a completely new gadget to improve driving experience – if you are driving Mini, the UK’s small car subsidiary. It’s driving glasses featuring augmented reality (AR) technology. BMW introduced these specially designed glasses with the support of the Osterhout Design Company which is known for its comprehensive knowledge of AR- oriented approach. Let’s see what is unique about these augmented reality driving glasses. To begin with, let’s turn to the technical aspect. The AR glasses feature 2 GB of RAM, have Qualcomm 805 snapdragon processer and offer two HD displays. You can manage its functionality through buttons laid on top of the frames. Mini’s heads-up menu, complete navigation with running speed, and other information will help you move smoothly the way you never did before, thanks to this wonderful innovation. And Mini’s Smartphone app enables you to connect easily for hands-free communication. Then, there is a wonderful feature of additional cameras on Mini’s passenger side which enable you to have a clearer vision. From the right corner of the car, outer part cameras give an idea of blind spots and help you locate the perfect parking place. The […]

Google X All SeT For Helping Your Health With The Announcement of Its Unnamed Wearable Google X announces its plan to create a wearable under the direction of Andrew Conrad, the director of Google X’s life science department. It’s aimed at assisting human life, which Google X deems to be as interesting as autonomous cars and phantom planes. According to Bloomberg, just like other wellness wearables, this one too is to be worn on the wrist, and takes care of such biometric details as heartbeats and other activities of human body. In addition, this one offers extraordinarily exact recorded data which can help medical check-up, studies, etc. This is its main selling point. Providing further input regarding this wearable, Conrad said that a time will come when even healthy people would wear it to find out early signs of anything going wrong with their health. He went to the extent of saying that even physicians might prescribe its use to all patients in the next 20 to 30 years. This project is also related to another project under the same director. It is called Baseline. As the name itself suggests, it is all about setting up a baseline of data concerning human health. […]

The Film Industry is Gearing Up For Virtual Reality As game enthusiasts are waiting eagerly for virtual reality headsets to go live in market, there is another group closely watching this technology: Hollywood. THE IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY So, virtual reality season is on and it is going to hit the film industry as well in near future. Now, with the growing adoption of virtual reality, movie makers are sure to experience a radical change in the way they go about their profession. And if everything goes well, the cine-goers are going to benefit too. Big brands like Facebook, Sony and Google have been trying hard to make virtual reality movie making a unique one. However, the first step is to create awareness among filmmakers and video producers about this new technology and how it works. Of course, the educational curve could prove complicated as this technology is completely new for the entertainment industry. It is yet to be known how it aligns with consumer expectations. Various techniques will be needed to introduce new virtual reality visual effects in to movies to provide for a truly immersive and rewarding experience. New virtual reality techniques will include the option to support 180 degrees of viewing and animated 3D content to immerse […]

Augmented Reality and Camera Position If you have viewed an augmented reality experience before you know that the right camera alignment and scaled of digital content is extremely important to make for an impactful experience useful. Mixed reality hardware and software is further removing the divide between the digital and physical worlds. With the emergence of monocular and binocular augmented reality devices, the importance of scale and alignment are all the more important. This article discusses the human element behind making an augmented reality experience perfect. THE PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IPD & ICD As it is, the human brain rests its depth and scale perception on interpupillary distance called IPD. Normally, the range of IPD lies between 54-68 mm. On the other hand, the inter-camera distance, called ICD, of our device is 40 mm. So, why are these two topics important? Well, if the inter-camera distance does not match the interpupillary distance, it will directly affect how the captured images match up with the perceived scale of the same. To address this issue, companies such as Leap Motion are building a sensor called Dragonfly which offers 64 mm ICD. It mirrors the average human IPD. However, there are other areas of concern beyond using a […]

It Is Likely Doctors Prescribe You a Google Wristband a Few Years From Now On Tuesday, briefing Bloomberg News, Google informed that its X division is working on a wrist band featuring sensors for measuring not only pulse, heart rhythm and skin temperature but also such environment-related information as light exposure and noise levels. The director of the life sciences department at Google, Andy Conrad, said it would be a medical device for use by patients, and in clinical trials. He also added that whatever they’d call it, once the product would be out of the experimental stage and into the market, it is going to leave other Android devices far behind in the race. Upon reading this news, it didn’t take long for me to realize that when this Watch will be launched, in absence of additional health monitoring sensors, this device would not be considered to be a medical device. Therefore, it wouldn’t need approval from Food and Drug Administration. A wise move indeed! All that the Future Apple Watches would require to gather health data is upgrading the software in order to avail the users of additional functions that would enable them to detect the levels of oxygen in […]

As the WEARable became APPLEable and GOOGLEable, the (young) wearable tech segment, is about to become the Smartphone’s subsidiary market. A new wearable “open source” approach, if taken by their competitors, should disrupt the wearable story. Just like the Smartphone did to Nokia… In the current reality wearable tech devices need to connect with a smartphone or tablet, for most of their functionality. Many mobile users interested in wearable devices will gravitate toward Apple Watches and Android Wear-based devices. However, new wearable insights, which will enable new set of solutions, might be adopted by tech giants. There are new opportunities which could change completely the wearable competitive landscape. That is, of course, if those “Sleeping Giants”, who did not take part at the smartphone “feast”, will wake up on time.. It is quite obvious that both, Apple and Google, consider the wearable tech as one of its major growth engines. Both companies would invest, as much as needed, to make sure the wearable devices will be generate for them at least the incomes smartphones did. With Smart Watches being the essence of the wearable tech nowadays, Apple and Google’s operation systems (IOS & Android) will be the main […]

Gamers Getting Familiar with Virtual Reality Virtual reality will soon replace its impression from rare previews at expos to rocking counters in retail segments and will provide strong gaming platform for gamers. Here are the reasons for saying so. To begin with, announcements from few significant players in the videogame development segment have made it seem a happening place. For instance, in the coming six months famous brands like Samsung and Facebook-owned Oculus are about to launch VR headset for Samsung smart phones. Valve and HTC are also right on their way to release their VR system called Vive. Not lagging behind from its competitors, Sony too is ready to rock the gaming zone during the first half of 2016 with its Morpheus project for PlaySation 4. This year many VR demos have been shown off by Ubisoft and they expect to sell 2 to 3 million VR headsets in early stage. Ubisoft, a famous game publisher, and small studios like Guerrila and 505 Games are also quite upbeat about this new medium. Imparting information about his company’s system at Electronic Entertainment Expo, 2015, Yves Guillemot, the CEO of Ubisoft said that they not only create worlds but also a […]

My Experience With Microsoft’s Holographic VR Development Who’d believe that I became a holographic developer in a session lasting for no more than 90 minutes! But that’s the fact. Microsoft’s claim about the ease with which holograms could be created for HoloLens at Build 2015 was true. The same codes as used in Windows 10 apps are used in Holographic apps with few changes introduced in them. A part of ease of hologram developments is due to the ready-to-use codes and features that Microsoft offers. Apart from these facilities, codification wouldn’t be much of a problem if you have basic knowledge of 3D software and development tools available such as Unity. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW VERSIONS This HoloLens hardware is an upgraded version of a tethered device which had exposed circuitry. It is having in-built power source and doesn’t give much of a trouble wearing it. It is just like a pair of goggles which is not going to weigh on your nose; because the HoloLens is kept in its place by an adjustable band. Microsoft cut both time and effort by pre-designed holograms, a veritable mix of virtual objects, like two airplanes on top of […]

Drive Better With BMW’S Newly Introduced Augmented Reality Glasses for Mini The BMW’s expert technology masters have come up with a completely new gadget to improve driving experience – if you are driving Mini, the UK’s small car subsidiary. It’s driving glasses featuring augmented reality (AR) technology. BMW introduced these specially designed glasses with the support of the Osterhout Design Company which is known for its comprehensive knowledge of AR- oriented approach. Let’s see what is unique about these augmented reality driving glasses. To begin with, let’s turn to the technical aspect. The AR glasses feature 2 GB of RAM, have Qualcomm 805 snapdragon processer and offer two HD displays. You can manage its functionality through buttons laid on top of the frames. Mini’s heads-up menu, complete navigation with running speed, and other information will help you move smoothly the way you never did before, thanks to this wonderful innovation. And Mini’s Smartphone app enables you to connect easily for hands-free communication. Then, there is a wonderful feature of additional cameras on Mini’s passenger side which enable you to have a clearer vision. From the right corner of the car, outer part cameras give an idea of blind spots and help you locate the […]

Big Sean was 4 feet from me as I sat front row of his jam packed concert. I could hear the fans screaming from different directions as I turned my head to look around the stadium. The sun was shining and the clouds were drifting…. This all felt so real. But really, I was inside of a conference room with an Oculus Rift wrapped around my head. When I experienced this Big Sean concert from Jaunt in California in March, I instantly knew this was a revolution in entertainment. Recent rumblings in the Virtual Reality industry have confirmed this theory, as just last week Google entered into a partnership with Jaunt to help create cinematic content. Content will be king when VR succeeds, so we must applaud companies like Google, Jaunt, River and Oculus Story Studio for positioning themselves to satisfy this increasing demand. Thanks to a $35 million dollar capital injection, Jaunt was able to release their newest product “NEO” this week. A high quality camera with the capabilities to capture full 360 degree content. This camera, and a partnership with Condé Nast Entertainment will help Jaunt progress forward the popularity of VR video content. As other film studios and theme parks, like The Void, become involved in the industry it is […]

FlexEnable’s Disruptive Wearables and IoT Innovations In a bid to make full use of the potential held out by technology used in wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT), FlexEnable is now gearing up to launch flexible electronics technology which is right on its way to disrupt the existing market. As it is, the wearable hardware is registering exceptional growth both in its usage and technological upgradation. The market amply reflects this growth. If we are to believe in the prediction of IDTechEx, the sale of wearable sensors alone might be around three billion by the year 2025. That’s enough to give us clear idea of the amount of recorded data in future. At present, however, it’s yet to find out how the use of wearables can be sustained. This issue is underlined by the find of a recent research, according to which a third of the users of this technology abandoned its use in the period of just six months. They do have legitimate reasons for doing so. Often the hardware is hard to wear. Apart from its usefulness, it is important that their design is user-friendly. User experience and lifestyle of the user are important factors and must […]

Schools and K-12 teachers frequently feel torn between meeting the demands of standardized testing requirements and the need to create enriching learning experiences with little to no budget. This unfortunately is being viewed as a growing trend which indicates a decline of field-trips and enrichment programs in our current educational system. According to the American Association of School Administrators, more than half of K-12 schools have eliminated field trips in 2010-11 (Greene, Kisida, Bowenwinter, 2014). Museum visits and instruction related to art, science and history have also decreased (American Alliance of Museums Brief Report,.2014). This should be a concern for everyone in that cognitive enrichment and creativity is vital for brain development and critical thinking skills needed in all areas of life. Well Google’s new Expeditions to be released this fall perhaps will pave the way in addressing some of these concerns. Google’s Expeditions is currently forming partnerships with content creators, educators, museums, and publishers in developing content for the Expedition platform which transports students to immersive experiences in faraway places using Google cardboard and are aligned and integrated with their lessons. Google is also currently involved in developing VR kits which includes Google cardboards for each student and a tablet for which the teacher can […]

Everything digital can be added to what we see around us. The space you’re in now can be altered in unimaginable ways using a Holoview device. A holoview device will analyse your surroundings; chairs, tables, walls and categorize them: a wall is useful for displaying images and live screens. Any horizontal plane can be converted to a battle ground for a game, or be used to display living or static objects. Any object in the room can receive an overlay, a color, a pattern. Generations The first generation of Holoview devices will reach maturity in the next few years. These years will see the development of a shared Holoview reality, with paid access to view and function areas. The second generation will see further integration with other technologies; they will interact with GPS triggers; the virtual equivalent of ibeacons and Uribeacons. When you go to a certain position in a room or a public space, the hololens will detect this and download /display information connected to that spot. Your whole whole might change in a second. (Here’s an opportunity for very exiting new forms of gaming.) Real and and virtual beacons will know of each others location and will interact to […]

Expeditions: The Most Interesting Offer Made By Google So Far in Virtual Reality It was the most singular experience for me to attend a demo of ‘Expeditions’, a VR software designed for instructors, in the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The Google engineer who put up the show before us literally took us for a ride as he landed us right on the surface of Mars. It was strange indeed – the red and rocky terrain of the planet! And just imagine where we were! Well, we were right where the Spiritrover had landed! This virtual reality software announcement was the third and also the most impressive one made by Google at this year’s I/O. Of course, I am not new to VR and yet, I must say, it’s difficult for me to fight my impulse to go in for augmented reality experience held out by prototypes of Oculus Rift, Samsung’s Gear VR, HTC Vive, etc. Where Google’s device, consisting of a cardboard, a pair of lenses and a phone, registers an advance over the VR tools offered by others is the price that is attached to it. It is this factor that is mainly responsible for making VR accessible to […]

Get Ready For Virtual Reality Games That Would Make Your Virtual Reality Experience Even More Real The digital world is becoming more and more captivating, thanks to the innovations of virtual reality game developers. Their newest game plan is to hand over the task of making their experiences really exciting into the hands of the users. The demos shown by Los Angeles big brands and startups during the Electronic Entertainment Expo made the new approaches amply clear. It was quite interesting the way the user’s hand movements and gestures in reality were replicated into virtual actions with the use of batons, rings and gloves. These tools are easier and more comfortable to use than the conventional headsets of which technical barriers became evident when users would wear them for a long period of time. They were quite uncomfortable. What the impressive product representation efforts are aimed at is to convince the users about how the new world of virtual reality would alter their gaming experience. Most probably, the next generation VR goggles will be introduced during the next winter – or spring – which would make the virtual reality even more real to users. However, nothing is known about the […]

The Impact of Google on Education All-encompassing…. Absolutely utilitarian innovation… And affordable…. If we are given the task to describe Google for Education, these should be the adjectives that should come to our minds. In fact, Google’s solutions are always like that right from the beginning. What is unique about Google for Education is that it makes education personal as well as public at the same time. Gone are the days when teachers used to go on firing off their lessons and students went on suffering at the receiving ends. Yes! That’s how it was – the tyranny of knowledge – when scholars weren’t able to get it! Google products and services under this program would greatly help teachers to teach better, more effectively and also in interesting manner. If you start doing in a new way what you have been doing all your life, it is bound to renew your interest in it, isn’t it? That’s what you expect if you make use of Google’s educational solutions. Google’s methodology is such that it makes education fun for students. It also helps them to actively participate in the process involved in imparting knowledge. Education becomes a veritable tour for them when […]

It’s Time You Get the Real Feel of Virtual Reality with Dexmo Wearables Contributing to the ongoing VR revolution, Dextarobotics has come up with excellent and uniquely designed Dexmo devices which seem to be based on the concept of bringing man and machine even closer than they are co-operate in the task of making virtual reality so real that you can touch it! Yes! That’s true. Let’s see how. To begin with, let’s consider the design of Dexmo wearables. When you wear them, it fits on your hand in the same way that exoskeleton does on invertebrates. The thing is that this exoskeleton is mechanical, and is meant for capturing the movements of your hands. Not only that, it also provides you with forced feedback to enable you to handle virtual reality in a better way. So far there have been two distinct versions proposed by the company, Dexmo Classic and Dexmo F2. Dexmo Classic offers the latitude of 11 degrees for hand movements, three degrees for thumb movement and for splitting and bending four fingers that remain. These degrees of free movement and the forward and inverse kinematics algorithms are combined in SDK in order to facilitate quick input of […]

360° Stereoscopic Video – have you tried it yet? Samsung Gear VR offers some of the world’s most attractive locations via VR experiences – though it’s not like being there, it is like feeling there. Although there’s no waitress serving you an exotic cocktail on a Hawaiian beach, you do save yourself the trouble of trekking to a volcano by seeing and believing you are actually flying above it. So it won’t replace the actual vacation but it will definitely give your motivation to take a trip a boost. How is it done shooting wise? There are a few options on the market today, and most of them are GOPRO (or other action cameras) based rigs, the problem is that after shooting -all the cameras need to be stichted together in a cumbersome work process. The 360° Stereoscopic Video is a HOT thing now, and as a result it effects VR user experiences since they are not just real-time 3d environments anymore, they are also Virtual environments that are 100% Video – all around you- you look up- you see the sky, you look down – you see the ground and so on. In the African Safari demo the Samsung VR store offers, you can see […]

Whatever you want to implement for a holoview device, there’s one thing you can’t do without; 3D objects. There are thousands of objects available online, created for 3D printing. But if you want to create you own 3d Objects you’ll have to resort to a program like the 3D Builder that comes with Windows 10. It’s clear that Microsoft designed the interface of the the 3D Builder with the Hololens in mind. Point and click have limitations that have to be overcome. The interface consists of two circle menus; an object menu, in which you select the properties of the object you are building and a control menu, that allows you to access higher level commands. It’s very cleverly done: the control menu consists of an inner menu circle with basic icons. Clicking on one of the icons, blocks all other icons in the inner circle and opens a next layer of options. Undo and confirm actions are also displayed in this circle. There’s a tutorial about 3D builder on the Microsoft developer’s site Creating 3D objects for HoloLens reviewed by Gert Braakman on July 8, 2015 rated 4.8 of 5

Get Ready to Transcend Reality with PrioVR Gaming Solutions The big question that has been troubling virtual reality game players is that they were just not satisfied with reality and the experience virtual reality allowed them was hardly real. To troubleshoot this issue for better gaming experience, Cyberith and PrioVR joined hands to come up with a solution in the forms of devices which allow full freedom for body movements to the users. Virtual reality has been there for the users since quite some time now but the experience that the virtual reality devices allowed them wasn’t perfect due to restriction they imposed on full body movements which considerably affected the exchange between the real and virtual worlds. To put it plainly, virtual reality was still not immersive. Here’s where, the PrioVR solution marks the difference. PrioVR solution enables integration of your body movements with the virtual environment in a way that you can see your movements perfectly reproduced on virtual level where you can interact with virtual reality objects in a way that it becomes difficult for you to decide whether you are a part of the virtual reality or virtual reality is part of your reality. What enabled […]

Augmented Reality in Car Windshields Proves a Distraction to Drivers It may sound technologically sophisticated, but the fact is augmented reality car windshields rather come in the way of driving safe. That’s what a new study carried out by the researchers at Toronto University has found out. In spite of the fact that this idea is used by such famous brands as Jaguar and Garmin, the find of the above-mentioned research has some practical wisdom in it. It clearly shows how this new technology overtaxes the abilities of human mind and its working, taking into consideration the way it works when goes unassisted by virtual reality and the way it works when it is fed by virtual reality – with info regarding possible hazards, roads, maps etc is visually placed alongside what you are directly in touch with while driving. The latter only contributes to confuse your mind by complicating the mental processes involved in decision making. Computer-based tests on drivers’ concentration and situational awareness have brought forth some interesting facts. One of these is that additional virtual information distracts them from the task of driving instead of promoting proper decisions. Ian Spence, a faculty in the University Department of Psychology, […]

Cyberith’s Virtualizer Means A Lot Of Fun at An Affordable Price Cyberith’s Virtualizer is a VR game intended to take your VR gaming experience to the next level. It’s different…designed with a view to make it easy for you to use it. What’s more, it can also help you rediscover other games like Call of Duty, Grand Theft and Skyrim which have already proved hit with gamers. As it is, the sources from which you derive entertainment change at different periods of your life. In the same way, the zeitgeist or the spirit of this age also redefines pleasure, and demands change in the way it is derived. The virtual reality games are an answer to this demand. Cyberith’s Virtualizer is a substantial contribution in this direction. What is unique about Virtualizer is that it bears witness to Cyberith’s commitment to the vision it has set for itself (that of changing the world) and also its belief in the fact that virtual reality (VR) is the next big technological revolution. This remarkable product is the direct result of the combined efforts of the extraordinary staff consisting of physicists, material scientists, computer scientists, engineers etc. It is the individual insight and […]

DAQRI All Set To Inaugurate at DCU in Ireland With support from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation through IDA Ireland DAQRI expanded work on their pilot project, named the DAQRI Smart Helmet, which is meant for oil and gas, power and water, transportation, shipbuilding and aerospace industries. Their Smart Helmet was announced in September 2014, and since then, DAQRI has expanded software and hardware positions in both their downtown LA headquarters and in their recently opened Ireland office. It also organized a two-day event called Hackathon at DCU Innovation Campus on 19th and 20th of June in order to motivate the developing staff towards this project. There is practical wisdom involved in the location chosen by DAQRI. This is because Ireland is known for throwing its doors open for technology and innovation. Gaia Dempsey, the co-founder and managing director of DAQRI International, underlined this point for choosing Dublin for locating its first international office. It offers substantial supply of quality technological expertise. No less credit goes to the close association between the company and the academicians and researchers to set up innovative Research and Development programmes. The reward is worth the labor in view of the fact that Europe […]

Magic Leap Springs A New Surprise on Augmented Reality Developers Magic Leap made an important announcement at EmTech Digital Conference organized by MIT Technology Review. It was about its upcoming launch of new development platform for augmented reality creation. The company pitched its project towards filmmakers, gamers and others whose creativity finds echo in this new technology trend. What the company intends to do is to feature a developers section on its site. Those who want to use it for their developments will have to register themselves onsite. It will allow them to use its software development kit which is perfectly compatible with game engines such as Unity and Unreal. Luring the developers by partial disclosure of the project In order to give surprise to those who love the experience that augmented reality holds out to them, Magic Leap kept mum about its AR platform till last month when it put up a demo through a video about how augmented reality could help them play a first-person shooter game while sitting in their office. But once the announcement was made, it liberally shared with its how it will set about the task of making this extraordinary experience a part of their […]

Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s VR and AI Drive Speaking about the significance of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) with regard to his company’s contribution through its developments, Mark Zuckerberg said that these technologies have the potential to change the world. Presently, Facebook is engaged on developing VR and AI tools to introduce the voice and facial recognition features. The advantage which accrues from it would include facilitation of sharing our experiences and communication with larger audience in a more effective way. AI projects which are underway The Facebook founder and CEO believes that the AI tools his company is working on are sure to enhance the utility of its services for the users by making it more intelligent. If you are photographed by someone, this technology will let you know about it. It will also make it easier to find the posts and images you are interested in. But, a bigger surprise is yet to come. He also talked about the plan of making computers which would take detailed stock of images and deliver precise description of the same to the blind! But we’ll have to wait for it for at least a decade or so. Many interesting […]

Threats Posed by HUDs before Drivers Heads-up displays, introduced as technological upgrade in auto industry, work more against the purpose for which they are designed. This is the find of the study conducted by Ian Spence of Toronto University. The research results were published in PLoS ONE last month and threw light on how the drivers’ minds coped with the combined visual presentation of real and virtual realities right in front of them. There are also other studies carried out on this technological innovation but they most of the part focus on what happens when attention is divided between visual information provided from two different locations concerning a single task, that of driving on the road in real life. In the present study, the focus is on the results of two sets of information mixed up in Heads-up display. The image presented here explains everything. It makes use of Jaguar endowed with multiple sensors – including optical, LIDAR, ultrasonic, radar, infrared, etc – which work together to project augmented-reality HUD superimposed right on top of the road surface on which eyes are bent. The intended purpose of the virtual display is to draw a driver’s attention to whatever kind of […]

Read a review of the latest SVVR expo – SVVR 2015 that took play in May 2015 Last month, we participated in the packed and well-marketed VR expo sponsored and pushed by the SVVR. While the acronym sounds like an organization in old soviet union, in reality it is a completely different thing. SVVR stands for Silicon-Valley Virtual Reality forum. Part of a trend in last year that every region has its own VR activity, so the Silicon Valley couldn’t allow itself not to take the lead forward! Young creative people from all around the industry both new and the old (well, VR isn’t really new…) came to one place to show & learn. Weekend geek fair Before the SVVR convention started there was an innovation fair, which was kind of a combination between fun weekend-fair to a science contest. So while there were not many VR related gadgets there, a lot of very cool ideas and new products in many domains could be seen in booths – from IOT, gadgets, robots, futuristic outfits and more. One of the coolest things we’ve seen is a helicopter drone controlled by the power of the mind! I’ve put the band on my head and actually […]

Doubts Surrounding Google’s Next Generation Glasses Even before It Hits the Market Google’s next generation of glasses are considered to be a baby who will be born with strong as well as weak points. Google has decided to call it GG1. While the project is still in the state of conception, it is expected to face certain challenges. It has raised a lot of speculation since the news about Google filing this project with the Federal Communication Commission was out. It is said to have gone beyond FCC testing stage. It means we may expect the enterprise level avatar of Google Glass to be launched in the market very soon. GG1 is promised to be: A wearable which is computerized and capable of being connected on board in keeping with the emerging trend in several industries Featuring augmented reality which would comfortably take its position side by side with physical objects, directions and mapping Possibly offered to Google’s loyal customers as something that accompanies other Google services which they use A part of Android ecosystem as an enhancement and could be viewed as a challenge to Apple’s iOS It is reported that these defining elements of the product have passed […]

Implications of IoT for Transportation Industry New Digital Competition, a report by VINT on Design to Disrupt (D2D), highlights platform economy for different industry segments. The report put forth ten principles of which ‘Getting the MOST out of SMACT’ begs our attention for a specific reason. It draws our attention to the potential the Internet of Things has to transform the transport industry, with support from a digital platform. The coming together of Kuantic for embedded device, Gruau for the transport business and Sogeti for IT in order to make collaborative effort within a framework provided by shared business interests offers a good instance to follow. The reason why their enterprise is remarkable is that they have practically shown that it is possible for different businesses to find common ground for doing business at corporate level. The IoT technologies can expand the main business activity in transport industry, namely, processing vehicles, which involves processing vehicles meant for carrying out refrigerated transportation service needed for human blood, organs, etc, and those run by thermal, electric, etc power sources. The possibilities we talk about here are lying in two areas which we are going to discuss briefly. Generating Value for Business Operation […]

Many designers will have waited for this; a demo of how Autodesk and the Hololens can be used together to create and update 3D models. Autodesk isn’t everyone’s favorite 3D program but if this is a real indication of what is possible, other (better) 3d programs will follow with their 3D -hololens adaptations very soon. It’s truly amazing what happening here. Especially the mouse cursor moving off screen and the collaboration options. Eat your heart out!!

One of the drawbacks that is mentioned over and over again in discussions about the Hololens is its limited F(ield) O(f) V(ision). Unlike the the Oculus Rift and similar devices the experience of the Hololens is not fully immersive. You’re looking at a small window where things are happening. Very interesting things no doubt, but it’s difficult to have the experience that “you’re in the middle of it”. What does it mean to view objects with a limited FOV? This simulation tries to give an answer to that question. It will alternately display full field of vision and the limited FOV of Microsoft’s HoloLens (30 x 17.5 degrees) The simulation makes it look a bit worse than the real thing. When wearing the Hololens the FOV will move with your head, because the Hololens tracks the movements of your eye and will adjust the image accordingly. Interesting part: the telepresence section.

ExtropiaDasilva is a digital person that resides in Second life. Her views on VR/AR applications in the field of psychology are interesting enough to be quoted extensively. Psychology is not the first thing you think of in relation to Artificial Reality. Yet AR may become a very important tool to increase your mental capabilities and free you from phobias, prejudgements, depression etc. Already the smartphone is becoming an important device to check your mental health; Do you spend a lot time reading mail? Do you stay at same location for extended period of time. It’s very strong indicator that you’re developing a form of depression Tests like this can easily be ported to a Hololens. That’s not all; the Hololens has a vast yet to be discovered potential in this area. It can increase your self-confidence by letting you mirror the behaviour of self-confident people. You can learn Tai Chi much faster when wearing a Hololens of VR device than in real life. That’s not a new discovery, research with VR devices in 2008 has already demonstrated this. You can treat phobias very effectively because the artificial snake will not really bite you, yet seeing it with a hololens triggers […]

The Pros and Cons of Augmented Reality-based Training in Industrial Environments Training is an obvious area where Augmented Reality tools can be implemented to have an immediate impact in efficiency and increase quality. Now, industries differ and the demands of differing industries also differ – with regard to training. Their standards to gauge effectiveness of the training also vary. Nevertheless, one thing is clear that training imparted in the work space greatly cuts the cost and reduces the time spent on training. Also, it would boost efficiency of the staff trained thus. Application in Assembly Areas Tasks such as spot welding and riveting put demand on man involved in carrying them out. The same tasks, when automated, put demands on machine. Herein lies the difference. Man needs to adjust himself and his skills in the given assembly area. He cannot if he is not trained for it. Another thing, the production environment of manufacturing units have to undergo radical changes of necessity, which often puts less weight on automating processes and more weight on customizing the environment to the new changes introduced in it. This situation demands that even experienced workers refer to manuals and share the tasks assigned to them with […]

Three Common Myths Regarding Augmented Reality What is difficult to grasp at this stage in regards to the latest Augmented Reality capabilities, is the tangible evidence or return on investment from using Augmented Reality in the enterprise; because the technology is just starting to gain traction and in the early stages for most industries. This has led to misconceptions regarding Augmented Reality and this article is intended to inform and correct the three myths regarding Augmented Reality. 1. Augmented Reality is like Minority Report Yes and no. When people think of augmented reality they often get this technology confused with virtual reality, augmented virtuality or mixed reality. For Augmented Reality specifically, there are three main pieces of the architecture: Digital content (databases, tracking & target configurations, streaming video, etc) A hardware device (tablet, PC, laptop, wearable heads up display (HUD), etc) The human element (end user(s) experiencing the content) Recent demos showcasing this capability may be misleading when visually showing what can be accomplished with Augmented Reality software. In reality, many factors need to be taken into account such as the properties of targets or objects tracked (size, finish, reflective surface, etc) and the physical conditions (lighting, orientation, and data connectivity). Augmented Reality doesn’t work in […]

Google Commits GG1 to FCC Testing It’s by no means common Google fails in fulfilling the expectations of its loyal customers. But it’s true its Google Glass program has not synced well with its customers for several reasons. Therefore, at the beginning of this year Google has assigned it to the care of Tony Fadell’s Nest division in order to remodel the product. If we draw upon the announcements made by Eric Schimidt and the CEO of Luxxotica, an Italian eyewear, the new version of the same product will be launched into the market very soon with all the necessary changes incorporated in it. Droid Life confirmed what they said by letting out Google’s submission to FCC. This has made it clear that the next version of Google Glass is under the testing process. Before now, the FCC documents provided authentic information about soon-to-be-launched products to people who look out for something new all the time. But now the situation has changed. Both the manufacturers and FCC have with one accent decided to subject all details of future products – including their images – to the new confidentiality policy. However, it is good that companies are required to disclose some […]

Five Reasons Why You Need an IoT Strategy for Your Biz The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that no business can afford to ignore. Of course, it poses quite a few challenges which need to be thoroughly answered. This requires a definite strategy and this article discusses five areas to consider when formulating an IoT strategy for your business. 1. IoT & Data Management Connected devices are making their way from business and industry to the mass market. We’ll be seeing more and more compact, connected sensors and actuators in everyday consumer electronics, household appliances and city infrastructures. So, if you’re low on milk, you can get an alert from your refrigerator as you travel by the store on the way home and before lifting a nearly empty carton at dinner. If you’re a loyal customer when you pick up that carton of milk at the store, you might not even need to check out. Sensors will identify what you have taken from the shelf and automatically charge your account when you leave the store with the item. We expect to see massive increases in data being generated by these devices pouring into our networks and systems. Already, billions of […]

Three Fundamentals for Bringing Out Full Potential of the IoT How far will the Internet of Things (IoT) change our lifestyle? In order to have some idea, let’s consider this hypothetical situation. You are in for a hip surgery. As you look at the surgeon, you find him wearing Google Glasses Enterprise Edition or something along the same line. The replacement joint is 3D printed and endowed with sensors. 3D scan and X-ray completed, now the surgery starts. All that is done during the surgery is recorded to your Electronic Health Records (EHR) through the Google wearable. At the same time the 3D printed hip joint registers your vital signs in real time. The surgery over, now it’s time for discharge. You are handed another wearable along with a recovery plan which is connected with the sensors in the hip bone. Also, this wearable tracks your movements and transmits this data to the database of the local General Physician whom you have chosen for looking after your health. Your GP closely notes the changes taking place in your health, and accordingly changes the treatment. Not only that; he can even use the data of your health as a reference for similar […]

Seven ways to optimize Augmented and Virtual Reality Gaming Experiences It’s a boom time for gaming and gamers are fully enjoying the hypes such as they will be witnessing at GamesBeat 2015 from October 12 to October 13. It’s all about finding out new strategies for upgrading gaming experience. It’s no breaking news if we state that virtual and augmented reality has made gaming more exciting than it was before. But still a lot more needs to be done. The point is rightly underlined by Digi-Capital, a tech-advisory company. In a report published by this company, seven areas are brought into focus for consideration. If enough is done in the areas identified by it, we can fairly expect VR gaming to fulfill the potential it has. The seven areas pin-pointed by it include increased mobility of AR and VR, enhanced optics, immersive experience, ease of use, flexibility, looks and feel of wearables and affordability. Increased mobility for AR and VR Any company venturing into VR and AR gaming arena will have to take into consideration the way smartphones have become a part of our daily life, and think about tailoring these mobile devices to AR and VR requirements. The great […]

Project StarVR is a joint venture of InfinitEye and Starbreeze aimed at bending a state-of-the-art technology to optimize entertainment option. The decision of the businesses partnering in this project has lessened the distance between virtual reality and reality for the gamers. If they are having this extraordinary VR experience, the gamers owe many thanks to hardware excellence of InfinitEye and software development of Starbreeze. The product is, indeed, unique in many respects, and it succeeds in taking the VR experience to an altogether different level. In order to achieve this result, Starbreeze has contrived to make Valhalla, its proprietary game engine, support Steam OpenVR framework. It has placed it in the position of being one of the first VR publishers who hold the credit for publishing titles on the platform provided by Steam. Klint, the CEO of Starbreeze sounded quite upbeat about this project undertaking. He clearly stated that the project should be viewed as marking the beginning of his company’s orientation towards creating next generation VR experience. His confidence isn’t misplaced either; because he is clearly eyeing the doors of unforeseen possibilities thrown open by VR. He wants to ensure that his company remains in the forefront of this […]

Color Grading Made Easy and Fun with Unity and Asset Store The Asset Store publisher showed how a game’s visual style can go a long way towards binding the gamers to your game. This is because it has to do with their preferences regarding different aspects of the visual appeal. With regard to this aspect of the games, Iestyn Lloyd of Lloyd Digital drew attention at the mindset of moviegoers who are easily influenced by the color-grading of the visuals that matches their preferences. He referred to Iron Man, Blade Runner, Transformers, Battlestar Galactica, Oblivian, etc. to make his point. The filters used by Instagram also fascinate him no less. Here’s a very interesting way you can find out the visual style for your game. All you have to do is to take a screenshot of a scene from your game and import it to Photoshop. Now try out the items found in ‘Image’ menu of it. It won’t take long before you find out which style suits you most. There is no dearth of online tutorials for helping you out in this respect. Now come to the task of utilizing the style for your game. The whole color grading […]

Is there anyone on earth who enjoys wires? No. VR headsets should be no exception. Thankfully, Gameface Labs has created hardware that is the “worlds first completely untethered head mount device.” The lightweight model really differentiates their hardware, and a young but highly intelligent CEO, Ed Mason, further provides this company with a unique proposition. The Android platform was a logical choice for Mr. Mason because it is the “largest open platform in the world.” Gameface is essentially a stand-alone Android device that lets you play games and watch movies within a Virtual Environment. If we look closely, this device is showing early signs of being the first headsets to act as a cell-phone and gaming system in one. The Glyph (created by startup Avegant) and Gameface are two of the best looking headsets on the market. Yet, the Gameface seems to be more efficient because of their plans to integrate the TEGRA K1 chip into their next prototype. Gameface will certainly stir up the waters of the VR industry once they begin to become recognized as the future standard for all VR hardware. This is a great indie HMD, one of, if not THE best.

AR or VR for The Gaming Industry The gaming market is booming with VR and AR, and companies are vying with one another to attract consumers with affordable VR and AR headsets. In spite of this, the question still stands: What kind of gaming experience we are going to have in the near future? Invizimals, Ingress, and projects like Google Glass and Microsoft’s HoloLens paint a rosy scenario for VR/AR gaming. If you put on HoloLens and start putting your creativity to test with Minecraft, what you observe is that it gives you complete 3D map of whatever object you see with it, lending it extremely realistic feel. And if you want to zoom in and zoom out, you can do so just by hand motion, and much in the same way you can interact with the AR objects as well. But, this is just one example. I myself had a glimpse into the AR future when I tried Halo 5: Guardians. It placed me in what looked like the inside of some military base. When I put HoloLens on, what I found was an objective marker which led me to a closed window, which slid open upwards, and what I […]

The Best Commercially Available Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Headsets At the time the Oculus Rift was announced, it was a one-of-a-kind project. Just in the span of two years the progress of technology opened the eyes of entrepreneurs to realize that the possibilities virtual reality offered were genuine. This realization brought with it so many VR project launches that it became somewhat of a problem for buyers to decide which headset to choose. Most of the VR projects are still in conception. The only headsets which are commercially available are Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR. Hopefully, other VR products, such as Sony’s Project Morpheus, HTC, Valve’s Vive and the Oculus Rift, will also be available in the market by 2016. Following is the list of headsets which you will soon be able to lay your hands on. Oculus Rift This one has already raised great promise to the present generation of users. Its Consumer Version 1 (CV 1) has the highest native resolution and features built-in headphones. There are about as many as two dozen games on card for the gamers picking upon this headset. Oculus VR is still working at it. What raises concern for prospective buyers is […]

Seven ways to Optimize AR and VR Gaming Experiences It’s a boom time for gaming and gamers are fully enjoying the recent hype around Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality as will be witnessing at GamesBeat 2015 from October 12 to October 13. It’s all about finding out new strategies for upgrading the gaming experience. It’s not breaking news to say that virtual and augmented reality has made gaming more exciting than ever before. But, the technology needs to evolve for widespread adoption. In a report published by DigiCapital, seven areas are brought into focus for consideration. If each area identified is taken into consideration, it is fair to say that Augmented and Virtual Reality can have the impact on gaming we all are hoping for. The seven areas pin-pointed by this report include increased mobility of AR and VR, enhanced optics, immersive experience, ease of use, flexibility, look and feel of wearables and last but not least, affordability. Increased Mobility for AR and VR Any company venturing into the Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality gaming arena will have to take into consideration the way smartphones have become a part of our daily routine, and think about tailoring these mobile devices to Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality requirements. One […]

Virtual Reality as Stress Relieving Technology Virtual Reality claims to relieve people from various anxieties, and the technological advancements support this claim with a great success. For instance, VR can be used to provide relief to the people who suffer from aviophobia (fear of flying) to wear during a plane’s take-off or landing or for people having trypanophobia (fear of injections) to wear while receiving their medical shots. Recently Edward Miller used GearVR virtual reality headset while taking treatment from his dentist to get rid of his anxiety during the time. This headset, intended to help people experience virtual reality, is collaboratively manufactured by Samsung and Oculus. It is supported by an app called ‘Oculus Cinema’ to give the users a feel of watching 3D films with a repositionable screen. Edward, during his visit to the dentist watched the movie Avtar in 3D and has shared following observations based on his experience. Edward experienced lower anxiety level though the dentist’s drill was audible The headset was not a hurdle for the dentist while performing the surgery on Edward According to him, this problem could be resolved with the use of Avegant Glyph or the Sony HMZ-T2 headsets. However, Edward felt playing […]

Lucas Meijer, the engineer working at Unity, while taking part in the Unite Europe event, spared some time for a brief interview in which he aired his opinion about the opportunity that artists and developers had to showcase their innovations at present. He said that this was the right time for giving exposure to their talent. And the reason why this is the right time is that the kinds of experiences and interactions provided by VR have not been fully defined yet. A Narrative Designer and student at NHTV, Breda, also echoed him by seeking from the audience at Unite Europe the answer to the problems he faced in making a short VR film named Dyskinetic which was shown at GoShort 2014 in Nijnmegen. It was made for the Oculus Rift. Inadequate Standards Brenden expressed his failure in addressing certain technical aspects of film making all on his own. The very fact that he used seven different software, including the housekeeping software he used for renaming files or converting the footage into OGG files for Unity and turning the footage into frames, is enough to suggest what a bother he must have gone through in making Dyskinetic. His experience clearly […]

The HoloDeck – Positive and Negative Scenarios The first time we heard of ‘holodeck’ was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation named Encounter at Farpoint. Something along the same line appeared in The Practical Joker, the animated series of Star Trek released in 1974. What is impressive about the Holodeck is that it succeeds in providing the crew of the spaceship named Starship Enterprise with a much needed break from the stress of their job by holding out an opportunity to them to be familiar with other worlds other planets, and even help them escape not only from constricted work area but also from their self through role playing. What’s difficult to escape from is the Holodeck of mind. In 1999 a movie was release called The Matrix. It depicts a future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality delivered through a combination of software and hardware. A popular scene in the movie involves the main character, Neo knowingly immersing himself into “the Matrix” to browse an arsenal of weapons. In the “Stockroom” scene, Tank who is an operator in the real-world loads up an empty space and per Neo’s request, instantiates artillery in the virtual world. This movie and […]

Seeing a Better Future Through ODG Glasses Hiding behind its out-of-the-box humble façade, Osterhout Design Group (ODG) is busy working on a highly ambitious project of a state-of-the-art AR glasses. Ralph Osterhout, the owner of the company, is credited with such impressive creations as the submarine in the Bond movie of 1977 named The Spy Who Loved Me and the night-vision goggles for troops who participated in operation Desert Storm. He founded ODG in 1999 and since then it has registered steady upward movement, serving both military and businesses with striking success. It was in April that it came to light that the AR glasses for BMW’s Mini Cooper for safe driving experience was the creation of ODG. And hot on its trail came the announcement that in the space of just six months, that is, in November, its R-7, with the price tag of $2,700 attached to it, will hit the market, with its remarkable offering of email apps, movies and internet surfing facilities. It’s quite characteristic of him not to mince the matter in talking about the AR glasses his company is working on. From what he said about it, it’s clear that this head-worn device would offer […]

Nintendo NX – Augmented & Virtual Reality Gaming Driven by the philosophy of anticipating others in doing what they do, Nintendo, the Japanese multinational, always wins back the market which they lose due to competition. Their originality is reflected in their strategy, developments and marketing. Its project Wii U wasn’t much of a success though. DeNA partnership did put up tough competition in the market and was a success from the point of view of generating revenue. But what is now considered as Nintendo’s Blue Ocean is NX. What the president and CEO of Nintendo’s establishment in America said about his company’s aims could be considered as a step towards Digi-Capital’s predictions about the growth of AR/VR market by 2020. What can be gathered from his comments is that he is seeking a solution which is not only technical but also fun and social, and it’s going to take some time. It’s clear that he considers Nintendo’s competitors as just technical and deficient in respects which are prioritized in its new project. Shigeru Miyamoto, a famous game designer, agreed with him having seen demos of the VR devices which are still under construction. It’s difficult to say when they are […]

Rapid Imaging Software started assessing the performance of its SmartCam 3D View software during flight very recently. This software is designed to offer UAS operators Augmented Reality waypoints as well as geographical points during flight. It was reported in a media release that this Augmented Reality software also places parcel numbers and airspace boundaries alongside the reality framed in the field of view. It also ensures safety of the flight by informing pilots about anything that may be found in the aerial passage of their planes through visual overlay of the obstacle. This press release also quoted Mike Abernathy, the Founder and Director of Rapid Imaging Software Inc, informing about the compatibility of the augmented reality engine of his company. What he said was that it could be perfectly attuned to mobile computing, and kept the flight operator informed all the time about the bearings of the aircraft during the flight. We may hope to get more feedback on this after the discussions regarding the apps and the usage of this new technological innovation by commercial UAS will be held by Dave Geisler, the Vice President of Operations, at the time he will participate in the NASA Unmanned Aerial Systems […]

Microsoft is Creating Holographic-Reality Microsoft HoloLens is a huge step forward for Virtual & Augmented Reality. HoloLens, as described by Microsoft, is the fully untethered, see-through holographic computer. HoloLens enables its users to experience high-definition holograms by integrating them with their physical places, spaces, and things. This experience is defined as ’mixed reality’ by Microsoft. Microsoft has recently announced the prototype plans of HoloLens. With HoloLens, Microsoft aims at change the way we see the world. It has the potential to change the future of computing. The HoloLens headset is an standalone device which can be used independently of all other computing devices. Microsoft HoloLens is going to be the first holographic device running Windows 10. With its sensors it would allow users to experience virtual structures which do not exist in the physical space. It will not require any wires, phones, or connection to a PC and give its users capacity to pin holograms in their physical environment. For example, users can pin the holograms of Skype app on their wall and can access and make calls using Skype with a single gesture. According to Microsoft, a hologram is an object like any other object in the real world. But instead of […]

OZO – Nokia’s Virtual Reality Camera Nokia, the Finnish multinational, has created a buzz with its professional-grade VR camera called Ozo, unveiled at an event in Los Angeles organized on 29 July 2015. It is said that Ozo answers some of the major problems associated with VR production, and orients it to diverse verticals. The latter marks a point of departure when compared to other such products. It hardly needs saying that the very name ‘Nokia’ is synonymous with ‘quality’. Those who have used phones made by Nokia will never forget them no matter how far the mobile device technology has progressed. Therefore, it is bound to raise a lot of expectations in the target market. Another reason why it has gained so much attention is that Jaunt, the VR giant, is partnering in this project. Also, a startup based in Palo Alto has decided to use it in its projects and lend its support for post-producing the footages taken with Ozo. To look at it, Ozo does resemble other products like Samsung’s Project Beyond, Google Jump, Jaunt’s cameras, Sphericam, etc. But, according to Will Mason, our editor, this stereo 3D camera offers footages which are among the best VR […]

VR JAM Demo Organized By HTC VIVE In London Mike Algar, a VR designer, detailed in an interesting manner his experience during an event organized by HTC Vive in London for putting up a demo of its dedicated VR Jam. It’s quite interesting the way he mixed up with a fellow with whom he had encounter more than once but in virtual environment as his own avatar in VR Chat, a social virtual reality app. This avatar invited him to be a part of his team in order to design something for HTC Vive in just 36 hours. It’s difficult to describe how, occasionally, a Batman, a Chucky doll with a deadly looks, etc made their appearance either to lend their ear to the views aired by the developers or to offer their own. Concepts like Wii-fit and escape-the-room type game were also introduced at the time. At the end of the brainstorming sessions, they decided upon developing a concept of a user playing the part of a robot engineer given the task of carrying out repairing work in a spaceship, and overcoming on his way the challenges posed before him by enemies. Another player didn’t belong to the field-of-view […]

Augmented, Virtual & Mixed Reality With the advancement in computing technologies and announcements of new devices such as Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus and Samsung Gear VR, today’s tech generation has started wondering about the Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). This article is an attempt to share information on these three technologies and define the similarities and differences. Virtual Reality Out of the three, we have seen a quicker adoption of Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality is an immersive and artificial experience that is presented to the user using a set of hardware and software in such a way that one may believe it as real. Users experience Virtual Reality through 3D environments, sounds and special effects. Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus and Samsung Gear VR devices launching soon, are great examples of Virtual Reality devices. Typical Virtual Reality devices require the user to wear a head-mounted display containing advanced computer screens. Games, apps and training software on Virtual Reality devices simulate a real, life-like experience to the user which is accompanied by 3D models, video and spatial audio. Some also support console-like controllers that allow users to further interact with the virtual world and digital content. With these advance headsets, users can move – virtually – where they want as if they would naturally in the real […]

Virtual Reality – Separating Fact from Fiction A 19 year old boy named Palmer Luckey made a stir in the global market in 2012 with a Virtual Reality Kickstarter campaign. It literally awakened market movers like Facebook, Google, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Intel and AMD to explore the potential of this new technology. The vision he saw for the 21st century proved to be worth more than $250,000. But could a boy capable of seeing such an awesome vision rest satisfied with pocketing $2.5 million? Indeed, a lot more than money was involved. It began to change the world for better. Gaming industry was just a beginning. Soon it became clear that it is going to disrupt entertainment, social networking, and several other markets. Even Zuckerberg couldn’t help himself being swayed by virtual reality. The result was the acquisition of Oculus for whopping $2.2 billion by Facebook. This happened two years after the revolutionary Kickstarter campaign. To quote Zuckerberg himself: “We’re making a long-term bet that immersive, virtual and augmented reality will become part of people’s daily life.” And if this is the statement made by Zuckerberg, then it’s bound to find echo in the audience, which is susceptible to innovative […]

Augmented Reality – A Contextual Future The virtual world is quickly molding into and integrating tightly with the real one. It is not a stretch to predict a promising future for Augmented Reality and use cases that will and already are benefiting. This combined reality- i.e. Virtual Reality merging into the real world – is on the track to become not only a new invention to marvel at but a desired, expected, trustworthy experience that can lead to fruitful communication and authentic decisions. Augmented Reality will soon optimize and streamline everything in our life. Recently, Apple acquired Metaio – the market leader, creator and democratizer of Augmented Reality. Google has also created and promoted Cardboard, a Virtual Reality device for mobile phones. It has invested $500 million in an company boasting Cinematic Reality -Magic Leap. Facebook, through Oculus Rift debuted the Virtual Reality film Henry. And the most recent of all, Microsoft HoloLens promises to be a fully untethered holographic computer. These recent market actions prove it is becoming essential for companies such as Samsung, Apple, Lenovo and LG to jump on board and ensure their devices can support complex and resource-intensive Augmented Reality applications. Nowadays, Google is experimenting with depth-sensor devices needed to deploy Augmented Reality applications to the consumer. Project Tango is […]

Microsoft HoloLens Tested by NASA Microsoft HoloLens is a major leap forward for the future of the wearable and immersive computing industry. HoloLens, as described by Microsoft, is the fully untethered, see-through holographic computer. HoloLens enables its users to experience high-definition holograms by integrating them with their physical places, spaces, and things. This experience is defined as Mixed Reality by Microsoft. Microsoft has recently announced the prototype plans for the HoloLens device. With HoloLens, Microsoft aims to change the way we see and interact with the digital world and has the potential to change the future of computing. The HoloLens headset is a self-sufficient device which can be used independently from any other computing devices. Equipped with advanced sensors, it allows users to experience holographic imagery anchored within their physical world. NASA has just wrapped up preliminary testing with the HoloLens device in the underwater labs off the coast of Key Largo in Florida. This underwater operation was given the name NEEMO 20 and it started on July 20th, 2015. NEEMO stands for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations. It focused on discovering new techniques for space exploration using emerging technology. With HoloLens, remote personnel located in the control center will be able to look over the astronauts’ shoulders […]

Magic Leap, an American company working on augmented reality, is developing a new Augmented Reality device. This project has attracted Google and the company has invested $500 million Magic Leap. Google’s Sundar Pichai is on the board of the Florida based company. Thus far, the company has preferred to stay in total silence. Only a video was released instead of a planned appearance at TED2015 the beginning of this year. The video enchants the viewer by offering a look at the wonders generated by Cinematic Reality. Apart from a single journalist demo, no outsider has been allowed to take a peek. The outside world only knows that Magic Leap is developing something that promises to be unique and unforgettable. What most would call Augmented Reality, is being termed as ‘Cinematic Reality’ by Magic Leap. Typical Augmented Reality devices require the user to look through two binocular and transparent screens. Magic Leap’s technology projects digital imagery back into the eye for an extremely realistic combination of digital content in the physical world. Though Magic Leap hasn’t disclosed much about the product, they have registered a patent including sketches, hand drawings and some other details regarding the functionality of the device. Though it is a drawing prepared for the patent application only, and the final […]

Virtual Reality Ecosystem Mapped by Greenlight VR Greenlight VR is a research and data intelligence provider for the virtual reality industry. They collect, organize and analyze millions of fully verified, proprietary data points on Virtual Reality apps and companies. They use modern Data Science techniques to help customers keep an eye on industry trends, do competitive research and make data-driven decisions through access to their graph of the Virtual Reality industry, data feeds & reports, and custom research solution. The company has come up with a unique Interactive Virtual Reality Ecosystem Map to represent the various industry sectors and companies in a clearer more specific manner. The map includes more than 150 different companies which provide head mounted display and related hardware, production equipment and software, VR apps, research, and technical and other services, organized into 22 categories across 11 major sectors. On having a look at it, one would realize that it is a representation, a sample. Though it includes many different categories and companies, there are many more excluded. Practically it is not even possible to cover all the categories and companies into the field in a single map- how so ever large it may be. The speed […]

Virtuix Omni: An Exceptional Gaming Experience A step ahead from the other virtual games, in which one sits with a remote in hands and sticks to the chair throughout the play, The Virtuix Omni™ is a virtual reality system that engrosses one in the games by offering the freedom to stand up and walk around in the virtual environment. Apart from the mental, this psychomotor involvement in virtual reality generates a feel of ‘never before’ absorption that cannot be experienced sitting down. thus it is an entirely new level of virtual reality gaming experience. The Omni keeps the entire body of the player busy, and metamorphoses his gaming experience .he could walk, run, strafe, sit, or even jump in 360 degrees in order to control and direct his avatar without any barrier. So while operating upon the virtual world, one can feel it even physically, moving around leaving the seat. The Omni involves one in virtual adventures keeping you awaken for the real world around. The Omni is not only the first, but also the most condensed, easily assembled, and quite affordable virtual reality gaming platform in all. There are no moving parts; the Omni uses a curved platform for […]

Microsoft’s latest venture that has generated a great deal of excitement is now quite nearer to its launch as said by the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella. In a recent interview with the BBC, Nadella spoke about the first timeline for the launch of HoloLens. He declared that the augmented reality headset is on a “five-year journey” during which it will be released step by step.It will be first launched for developers- the release may commence somewhere during the very next year. Then in the next step it may be available for business users and finally for consumers. The detailed process of the launch is however not yet revealed, nor are the price and other specifications. Clarifying over this Nadella said, “We will have developer versions of it first, and then it’ll be more commercial use cases, and it’ll evolve. This is a five-year journey, but we’re looking forward to getting a V1 out, which is more around developers and enterprises. It’s in the windows 10 time frame, which means that it is within the next year.” As indicated by Nadella, the focus of this initial version will be the developers only. There isn’t any reference to gaming, which has […]

An Array of Virtual Reality Products from Merge Labs Merge Labs, Inc. was Founded at the end of 2013. It is a San Antonio, TX based initiative focusing mobile virtual reality and engrossing entertainment. The company is a privately funded one. It is led by Founder Franklin Lyons and Co- founder Andrew Trickett, with backgrounds in gaming, technology, design, content development and hardware creation. Various products offered by the company are the MergeVR Goggles, wireless handheld VR Controller, MergeStart app etc. are Compatible with iOS and Android devices. They are built in the way to be handy, affordable,compact,long lasting and easy to use. Merge Goggles The Merge Goggles claim to be The most comfortable and durable VR headset, powered by smartphones. They are made of soft foam that fits comfortably to the shape of every face. The salient features of the product are asunder: Soft and durable high-end foam iOS and Android compatible Adjustable IPD Auto-adjusted display in Easy to use Portable and fun The Merge VR Controller It is the world’s first of its kind motion controller for mobile, for which no setup or pairing is required. It is the first controller made specifically for mobile VR. It allows […]

Improbable is a London-based company that provides a backend framework to make simulated worlds (which includes large-scale virtual reality) possible. The company is working on various kinds of virtual reality experiences aiming at many different sectors of real human life. The current focus is, however, gaming. The company was established almost three years ago at Cambridge University, and by now the team has solved many of the problems needed to make simulated worlds a reality. “We are building the operating system for simulated worlds.” The Chief Executive Herman Narula thus describes the mission of the company. Improbable is creating an operating environment that makes simulated worlds possible. These simulated worlds are digital spaces that can run in real time simulating the behaviors and interactions of millions of entities. They are spaces with their own rules and properties that a large number of people can simultaneously operate,change, explore and visualize in as many different ways as developers can imagine. In the team’s view, apart from generating an entirely fresh experience in gaming, simulated worlds can be used to solve problems in many different areas of human life such as defense, healthcare, economics, finance and entertainment. They have just joined hands with […]

The Progression of Magic Leap Magic leap, inc., a developer of novel human computing interfaces and software, is working for the future of computing, entertainment, communication, education, and play. They are the leading pioneer in digital Lightfield technology. The company is developing a new Mixed Reality computing platform that will enable people to interact with the world around in new and unimaginable ways. The headquarter of Magic Leap is located in Dania Beach, Florida, with branches in Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Mountain View, Seattle, Austin, the UK and New Zealand. Magic Leap, as it prefers to introduce itself, dwells upon an idea of relating the virtual life to the real one as closely as possible, trying to make it as natural as possible. They believe that Instead of technologies to access the digital world limiting or taking away, from the real world, computing should be bridging the gap between the digital and real worlds. The company strives to accomplish this goal by each of its venture. With this purpose in mind, they have developed- In fact pioneered- a new technology which they name as a Dynamic Digitized Lightfield Signal™ (I.e. a Digital Lightfield™). It is biomimetic, i.e. it accords the […]

AltspaceVR & Social Virtual Reality AltspaceVR is a virtual reality software company developing a new communication platform. It is now used by people in over 50 countries to share a variety of experiences and interact online. Through their newly developed platform, They tend to provide an effective for people to be together when they are not in the same physical space. The company was Founded in 2013 and includes many big investors like Tencent, Dolby Family Ventures, Raine Ventures, Lux Capital, Western Technology Investments, Maven Ventures, Promus Ventures, Streamlined Ventures, Rothenberg Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Formation 8, Google Ventures, Foundation Capital, SV Angel, Haystack Fund, and Startcaps. AltspaceVR offers a virtual experience of social interactions. Under this service motto which is quite large in its scope, they cover various services some of which are as follows: Tabletop role-playing games in AltspaceVR AltspaceVR has introduced V20, a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) system for virtual reality. It includes the battle grid, polyhedral dice, and a soundboard for dynamic music. One needs to Place environment tiles on a 3D board, add the player and enemy miniatures and start rolling natural 20’s. He can Build his own campaign using any of the favourite rule […]

Welcome to the era when “Disruption” became the Holy Grail for investors, thus the ultimate goal for Startups! Not so long ago the phrase “What a mess” used to be referring to a negative thing. If it was said to you, you knew that you must have hit “rock bottom”, and a radical change of path is needed, to get back up on track again. Well, this in not true anymore! Disruption became the path. It is considered an “Art” nowadays. Disrupt in an outstanding manner and you will get rewarded! On my Daily job I meet many investors, mainly to hear about this new investments plans. In recent years, when I asked “what are you looking for in a Startup you’ll invest at” the answers varied. Each investor had its different requirements and view of “the next big thing”. Well, that was the case up until few months ago. Recently Most of investors have only one request concerning new investments – “Bring me Disrupting Startup companies. Companies who can prove they cause huge Disruption, with their solution, to a certain traditional segment”. Disruption became so widely desired by investors, that some VC’s added it to their analysts’ checklist (What checklist?!) as a […]

Matterport’s 3D Camera Matterport is a Mountain View, CA based 3D Media Technology company develops technology to create, modify, navigate and share immersive spaces in Virtual Realityf, web, and mobile apps. Matterport designs products which help people make photo-realistic models of real-world spaces. The company works for making it easier than ever before to help them create realistic 3D models of the world. With Matterport people can digitally reconstruct real-world spaces for use in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, web, and mobile applications. Currently, the Matterport Spaces are available on highly immersive Virtual Reality platforms such as Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear Virtual Reality, and Google Cardboard. The services are also available on its browser-based app – 3D Showcase. With 3D Showcase users can view Matterport’s immersive content on PC and mobile devices. By following the given steps anyone can create and share 3D images of any object using the company’s End-to-End 3D Media Platform. Capture – Use the Matterport Pro 3D Camera to scan your space and upload your 3D data to the Matterport Cloud. Create & Host – Matterport cloud-processing technology generates and hosts fully immersive models from captured 2D and 3D data. Share & Engage – Matterport’s 3D Showcase […]

WEVR’s Open Virtual Reality Platform Venice, CA based Virtual Reality startup WEVR is a virtual reality media player for ambitious and professional creatives. WEVR teams up with leaders in the immersive, creative, and technology communities – providing them with high performance virtual reality playback software for virtual reality producers. As an open Virtual Reality technology platform, WEVR enables immersive storytellers to create, present, and publish projects on all Virtual Realityheadsets. The company led by Neville Spiteri as its CoFounder/CEO, Anthony Batt as CoFounder/EVP and Scott Yara as CoFounder/Chairman has got a major cash flow from HTC, the manufacturers of the Vive virtual reality headset. HTC has revealed that it has invested $10 million in WEVR, which gives it a 15% stake in the company. WEVR is both building virtual reality software, including a media player, as well as apps and experiences. The company’s first project was “TheBlu: Encounter” an underwater experience that puts Virtual Reality users on the deck of a sunken ship, where they face a giant blue whale. More recently, WEVR teamed up with Adult Swim for “The Virtual Brainload,” a mobile Virtual Reality app for Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Cradboard headsets. WEVR also launched a grant program […]

Google, Intel and The Future of Intelligent Computing Google and Intel have teamed up and are working on an Augmented Reality smartphone that will work on Google’s Project Tango technology to map and track 3D environments with Intel’s RealSense camera sensor. Project Tango is 3D mapping software developed by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group that aims to “give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion”. After a two-year incubation, it flew the nest in February in the form of a developer kit. Intel’s RealSense 3D camera technology is a continued focus for the firm, and a good fit for Project Tango as it essentially looks to do the same thing: map 3D environments on mobile devices. According to Engadget, they have already produced a developer prototype of the smartphone. It looks like a normal smartphone. The prototype has has a 6-inch QHD display. It is 8.2mm thick and weighs 165 grams. It runs on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and has an Intel Atom X5 processor inside. The prototype smartphone has USB/HDMI combo port on the side for sending the display to a larger screen. The final version of the phone may feature USB Type-C. This smartphone can be used […]